Nine
The last few days of summer were drawing to an end. For McCoy, it signaled the start of bonfires, camp stories and s'mores. For Emily, it meant that it was the beginning of the end. She had begun working on how to control her powers more often. McCoy would often join her during the night whenever everyone else thought they were sleeping. The lake had become her favorite spot for multiple reasons: It was secluded from prying eyes, and it had a good variety of boulders and trees she could practice her abilities on. On more than one occasion she had almost lost control, but with McCoy by her side she was able to quickly regain control.
She was pleasantly surprised with the progress she made. In the short few weeks she had left, she'd almost mastered the art of lifting objects in the air and healing injuries. That was another gift she'd discovered. When McCoy had been injured no thanks to her practices, she quickly went out of her way to help him recover best as she could. To their surprise and to her amazement, she was able to heal the cut before it got any worse. Both the blood and the cut itself disappeared, and McCoy hadn't felt any pain where it was. To say he wasn't nervous around her after that would have been an understatement, but she was touched by the fact that he still went out of his way to be a good friend.
She still shied away from his father just as she had the first time they met. She wasn't sure why she shied away from him or why she reacted the way she did. There was something about Doctor McCoy that always seemed to put her on edge. Yet he was never put off by her behavior. If anything, that only seemed to fuel his desire to gain her trust and reassure her that he wasn't going to hurt her. She had to admit, she was impressed with the way he kept going back to her. Hannah would later say that it was because she was the only child he'd ever met who didn't actually trust him as a doctor, and that was like a hit to his ego.
Still, nothing could have prepared her for the moment when Coulson announced they were going on a hiking trip. McCoy talked about it from time to time, but as the day drew closer, he was even more excited about going on a hike with his father. He wasn't aware of the fact that his father had planned on going with herself and Coulson.
"Pa always tells the best stories whenever we sit around the campfire at night," McCoy explained as they walked side-by-side through the trail. Emily rose an eyebrow in amusement when she noticed how fondly he spoke of his father. She knew they were always close. She supposed that was why his father had been so determined to gain her trust. "And this year's gonna be no different."
"You know, most kids our age don't remember everything their parents tell them," she pointed out.
She wasn't the first to notice his intelligence. While McCoy hid it well around everyone else, Emily knew he was far more intelligent than most people realized. She realized with a start that they had more in common than she first imagined. The only difference was how they had been raised in the beginning of their lives.
She supposed that was one of the reasons they had gotten along so well. Though their relationship began on a rocky start, they quickly became inseparable. Emily was only just beginning to appreciate the fact that she did have someone like McCoy by her side. He was one of the best friends she could ask for. Heck, he was the only friend she could ask for at the moment.
"Yeah, well, I'm not like most kids," he replied with a toothy grin.
Emily couldn't hide the small smile that followed. She nudged him playfully in response, not missing the way his demeanor seemed to change after noticing how much happier she was. They walked on in relative silence, though Emily hadn't missed the way Coulson or his father kept watching them every now and then.
By the time night fell, they settled in a large clearing and pitched the tents. It was warm enough out that heavy sleeping bags weren't needed, but it was also cool enough that they could set up a campfire. Emily helped mostly with pitching the tents while McCoy and Coulson looked for wood for the campfire. She hadn't missed the way Doctor McCoy worked carefully around her, offering advice every now and then along the way.
She watched warily as the fire itself was set. The flames dancing along the logs and branches only reminded her of what happened on the Kelvin. But the longer they stayed outside and she was distracted by the stories told by both Coulson and Doctor McCoy, the more she began to realize the effect it had on her. When she sat close beside McCoy later that night, they stared at the sky that seemed to be endlessly painted with stars.
His father had told stories about how he would sometimes go away on trips across the world as a doctor without borders. That was how he and Coulson met. Apparently Coulson had been on a mission, though he left that part out for McCoy's sake. Said mission had ended nearly in disaster, with Coulson nearly getting shot in the heart in the process. The only reason he managed to survive in the first place was thanks to Doctor McCoy's quick thinking. It was through that mission and recovery that they became good friends, and how McCoy's father became invested with the agency.
"Even when I was on the Kelvin the stars seemed so far away," she admitted once they settled down together later that night. McCoy gave her a side-long glance at the mention of the Kelvin. He had become increasingly aware of the nightmares she suffered from, along with the panic attacks. Coulson had finally agreed to send her to a therapist where she could hopefully work out her problems, but even that was never enough. "Captain Kirk used to spend a lot of time with me in the observation deck. He'd point out constellations and explain their history and meaning."
McCoy couldn't help but wonder at the fact that she had such vivid memories of her time aboard the Kelvin. She'd known Kirk for a good two years before the ship was destroyed. Kirk had only known her for a year after seeing how alone she really was. Eventually he'd approached her and began giving her the chance to be normal. Or at least as normal as a four-year-old could be on a Starship. Then his wife had stepped in once they met for the first time. Her life had changed for the better when they finally began treating her as more than just an annoying burden. Though she knew it wouldn't last when Nero ambushed the Kelvin.
There were times when she found herself wondering what her life would have been like if the Kelvin had been left untouched by Nero. She couldn't help but think of what Kirk and his wife had been discussing just days before Nero's attack. They had been thinking of taking her in themselves… the thought left her stomach churning with realization. It wasn't as if she had done anything to deserve their kindness.
"I heard what happened to that ship," he said carefully, already aware that she suffered from panic attacks because of what happened. The last thing he wanted was to trigger another one. "I can't imagine going through something like that."
Emily let out a heavy sigh and looked back at the stars. The sky seemed endless compared to when they were out in space. Yet the more she studied the stars, the more she could see designs and patterns within them. She knew there were other ships out there exploring the same quadrants the Kelvin had explored. The remains of the Kelvin were probably even scattered in a field of debris out there.
"I wouldn't wish it on anyone," she whispered. "I knew my parents would likely use it as an excuse to abandon me… neither of them wanted anything to do with me."
It wasn't until feeling an arm wrap around her that she realized she was crying. McCoy held her close as she let out a shuddering breath at the mention of her parents. She wanted nothing to do with them. After everything they had done to her, she knew they would never see her as anything more than a freak. For a while, neither of them said anything as McCoy provided some comfort.
"You know, I think your parents made a mistake," he suddenly said. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when she glanced at him warily. "If they didn't wanna keep ya, then they obviously didn't get the chance to really get to know ya."
Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she understood what he meant by that. She realized with a start that McCoy was one of the few kids who would ever see her as anything but a freak. And she was beginning to realize how much she appreciated his warm presence. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned into his side. She knew at that moment that she couldn't ask for a better friend… or for a better family for that matter.
.
.
They had one more week before school officially started. Coulson was finished with most of their shopping, having grabbed a backpack for Emily along with a data PADD that was offered by the agency he worked for. Emily hadn't missed the fact that the PADD itself had a logo that looked like an eagle holding a scroll and a shield in both talons. She found the object itself strange, though she didn't bother saying it out loud. Clothing had also been a big issue. Hannah was the one who insisted on taking the kids out, much to Emily's dismay and her amusement. McCoy had been more annoyed than anything else, though he didn't bother arguing with his mother.
"Elementary school isn't going to be too challenging, and it'll be a good chance for her to meet new kids her age," the older woman had said when Coulson fretted over the idea of her being out in public. "She's already made good progress with Lennie, and that's saying something."
Though she hadn't meant for Emily to hear their conversation, she knew Coulson was worried over how she would react to being surrounded by so many people. She wasn't afraid of being surrounded by large crowds. While it reminded her of being aboard the Kelvin, it also provided an odd sense of comfort. She realized that being surrounded meant people weren't panicking or running for their lives.
Of course, not everything had gone smoothly that last week. The McCoy's always held a barbecue the last week of summer before school started again. Their family apparently stopped by from all ends of the country in huge numbers. When McCoy talked about his cousins, he usually referred to them with fondness. She'd known going into this there would be hiccups. The last thing she anticipated was how loud his cousins were when they finally met for the first time. His oldest cousin was Jacob Stone, who happened to be ten. Jacob had a younger sister known as Alex, who was around seven at the time they met.
All of the boys had been curious as to who McCoy had been talking about whenever they got together or whenever he reached out to them. Emily suddenly found herself feeling overwhelmed with their curiosity and constant questions. She shrank further into herself when Alex began asking where she came from and why she didn't have the same accent McCoy had. That in itself was easier said than done to explain when she realized why that was the case.
"Ya know, she hasn't gone through the McCoy family initiation if she's officially family," Jacob slapped a hand over McCoy's shoulder, causing her to flinch instinctively. McCoy's eyes went wide with horror as realization dawned on him. "Come on Leo, you of all people know that it's important. Every kid your age has to go through it!"
"Actually, only the boys have to—"
"Don't you remember Lexi? The rules were changed," Jacob cut his sister off before she could jump in and save the day.
"Jake, no!" McCoy tried putting an end to the madness before it could get any worse. Emily pursed her lips together as she realized what was happening. "Pa would kill us if we tried anything stupid."
She was well aware of the fact that McCoy was worried about how she would react to the whole ordeal. But after hearing the many stories revolving around families and how some traditions were more important than social gatherings, she was determined to prove herself to this family. Especially since said family had become like a second home to her.
"What? Are you afraid?" Jacob asked, tilting his head to one side when he finally looked at Emily.
Her eyes narrowed with renewed annoyance as she understood what he was implying. She knew some families had strange traditions that revolved around holidays and other irrelevant things. What bothered her more than anything else was the fact that his cousins didn't take into consideration her history. She tried pushing the thoughts aside after realizing she was determined to prove herself.
"Depends on the situation," she finally replied after crossing her arms over her chest. "What exactly are we looking at for an initiation?"
The smirk that followed told her everything she needed to know. When Jacob led the way into the barn nearby, Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise. Another group of kids around their age were standing around the large room, all looking abash when they realized the victim in question happened to be a girl.
That only fueled her desire to prove herself. She was already beginning to work out ways to pull through with the initiation, even if she didn't know what it was. McCoy's fretting only made it worse. She wasn't about to let them think that she was weak.
"This is a bad idea," McCoy muttered under his breath when he too was herded into the room.
Emily merely rolled her eyes at his comment, though she didn't miss the fact that McCoy stood by her side. He looked more annoyed than anything else, and she suddenly had a vague idea as to why. Sitting on the floor was what appeared to be something that made her stomach twist with horror.
She'd heard of other families that had similar traditions and strange ones at that. But this one was enough for her to wish she'd thought twice. McCoy had explained to her that some families did things such as fling mud at each other as part of their traditions, or some other stupid shenanigan. She glanced in McCoy's direction when she noticed he made a face in disgust.
"Is that horse manure?" she asked warily.
"For generations the McCoy family's done this," Jacob explained with a firm nod. He and the other boys exchanged knowing looks, almost as if they'd been planning this for months now. "I'd understand if you're too chicken to go through with it. Leo threw up barely after eating it."
Emily just narrowed her eyes once more when she realized what he was implying. She was no coward, and she certainly wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Though the look written across McCoy's face told her this was the last thing he wanted anyone else to do.
Her jaw set with renewed determination as she gave a faint nod. Jacob just rose an eyebrow in surprise when he realized she was willing to accept the challenge. He and the others surrounding them stiffened in surprise before resuming their composure.
Of course, she'd known going into this mess that nothing good would come out of this. The last thing she expected was to feel her stomach twist violently from the repulsive taste. But the fact that she went on with the challenge had impressed Jacob and the others. McCoy would later spend the rest of the night with her when she ended up vomiting most of what occurred that day.
"I don't know how you did it," he shook his head in disbelief when there was a break between bouts of throwing up. "I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've seen Jake and the others impressed by someone."
"When you grow up on a Starship you learn to eat just about anything the world gives you," she muttered crossly. "Your cousin's an idiot, by the way."
McCoy only grinned in response. Of course his cousins weren't all that bright. But in their defense, they'd never dealt with someone like her.
"I'm surprised you opened up at all to them," he said thoughtfully.
Emily rose an eyebrow at his comment, but she realized with a start that he was right. That was the first time she'd opened up so easily with anyone outside of the family. And she realized that it wasn't nearly as terrifying as she first thought. True, they still had their issues here and there, but Jacob had been somewhat easier to talk to.
"Guess I am too," she said quietly. She leaned back and thought of how that all transpired in the first place. Jacob had quickly learned to respect her after that. He realized with a start that she was willing to prove herself to anyone who suggested she couldn't do something. She knew that was going to backfire on her sooner or later, but for now she relished the fact that she'd proven someone wrong. "It felt good to put him and everyone else in their places."
The grin that followed was enough for her to return the gesture. She knew in the back of her mind that she and McCoy would likely have a fallout in the near future. But for now at least they had each other. And that meant more to her than she would ever admit out loud.